by Falicia Love
Dana wanted to see her friend badly but was told it was too early for her to travel back to New York. Dana was declared legally dead, but Rone didn’t want to chance going back so soon. Emily volunteered to go pay Brittany a visit and report to them on her condition. Rone agreed that that would be a great idea.
As Dana and Emily were walking along the beach they passed a familiar face, a face Dana often dreamed about: the bitch who drenched her with gasoline. Dana paused when she saw her but said nothing. Emily saw the look on Dana’s face and frowned. She didn’t ask any questions at first. They just continued to walk the shore. The woman Dana saw didn’t recognize her at all. Hell, she didn’t seem like she recognized anything, in Dana’s opinion.
“Okay, Dana, who the hell was that lady you were just staring a hole into?” Emily asked as soon as they were far enough away to where Emily could look at her without being noticed.
“That was the bitch who drenched me with gasoline. She was with Jeryca. I don’t even know her name, but that’s that bitch! I dream about her every other night! She tried to help them kill me!” Dana cried angrily.
“Are you sure, Dana?” Emily asked.
“I’m freaking positive. You remember when I told you about the scar on the woman’s chin?” Dana asked.
“Yes, I remember,” Emily said after thinking back. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
Emily walked toward where Desiree was walking and starting running and pretended to fall into her as she approached her. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me,” Emily said, helping the lady up and taking time to check her face out.
“Bitch, watch where the hell you’re going next time,” Desiree growled.
Emily refrained from cussing her out. “Again, my apologies.” Emily ran off and headed toward Dana but made sure to not run directly for her. She turned back around and saw that Desiree was out of sight and she walked over to Dana.
“Well?” Dana said.
“Not her. The lady doesn’t have any scars at all,” Emily replied. “Come on, let’s go back home and relax. I’m tired.”
“But I could’ve sworn—” Dana started but was interrupted.
“Dana, darling, it wasn’t her,” Emily said.
Emily and Dana returned to their beachfront home and relaxed for the remainder of the day.
The next morning Dana got up and took a bath. She got dressed and went to the kitchen looking for Emily. She was nowhere to be found, but an hour later Emily walked in sweating and breathing heavy.
“Where you been? You had me worried sick!” Dana fussed.
“I went for a jog, Mother!” Emily laughed. “I’ma take a shower right quick and make you breakfast.”
“I had cereal already,” Dana said, but when she turned Emily had already disappeared into the bathroom.
When Emily emerged, she told Dana that she had to leave in an hour to catch a plane back to New York. She asked Dana if she needed anything done before she left. She was going to be gone for a week and would return hopefully with some good news about Brittany. Dana told her that she would be okay until Rone returned, and to call her as soon as she landed.
After Emily left, Dana went out on the balcony to get some fresh air, and she saw several police trucks on the beach. She called Rone to see if he was okay, and when he answered, she sighed a breath of relief. “Good, you’re okay.”
“Yes. Why you say that?” he asked.
“I just saw a bunch of police out on the beach and was just checking on you,” she replied.
“Yeah, I’m good. I should be back in a little while, dear.”
“Take your time, Rone. Tell your friend I said hello and can’t wait to meet her.”
“Will do, my darling daughter,” he said.
She hung up and went back to the balcony to be nosy. She was just recently getting used to him calling her his daughter. Life was definitely surprising to her. Dana decided to go and take a nap while it was quiet.
She awoke a while later and went and sat down and turned the television on. As soon as she sat down, she again saw the face that she had dreamed about, flashing on the screen. “Desiree Fontana’s body washed up on the Hawaiian shore. Police are looking for anyone who may be related to her and can positively identify the body. If you have any information, please contact Hawaii police. In other news . . .”
“I knew it was her!” Dana shouted. The scar was very much still visible, but why did Emily say it wasn’t her? Why had Emily lied? Dana’s mind started clicking. Emily wasn’t here when she got up, nor had Rone come in that night. He had found a lady to spend time with, but he never stayed out all night. Matter of fact, he was there when she went to bed last night. When did he leave? And why was Emily leaving for New York all of a sudden?
Dana’s mind started formulating its own theory of what happened. She smiled inside but was upset that she wasn’t included in anything.
* * *
Emily called later on. “Hey, I made it to New York safely. I’m going to check into my hotel and relax, and will be going to see Brittany.”
“I’m glad you made it safely, but I have a bone to pick with you,” Dana exclaimed.
“What kind of bone?” Emily asked curiously.
“You know what I’m talking about!” Dana groaned. “What did you do this morning?”
“Dana, I have no idea what you’re talking about. But I’m about to go. I love you, cousin,” Emily said.
Dana laughed. “I love you too, cousin.”
After they hung up, Dana realized it didn’t matter what they had done. She knew they did it out of love. That still didn’t change that she had questions.
She sat back on the couch and waited for Rone to come in. She was going to see if she could pry some information from him. How could he resist his daughter? Dana laughed out loud as the thought crossed her mind.
Chapter Twenty-two
Emily woke up bright and early the following morning, got dressed, and headed out the door to go to the mental hospital to visit Brittany. As she walked the familiar streets, she realized that she missed New York. It was home! She took pictures to show Dana all the wonderful changes that she was seeing.
As she approached the institute, she took out her ID and entered. She was patted down and escorted to the visiting room. She sat for a few minutes then finally she met Brittany’s eyes. Even though Brittany dropped her head, Emily knew that Brittany recognized her.
Once she was seated, Emily reached out for her hands, but Brittany pulled back and placed her hands in her lap, still looking down. Emily looked around and started talking. “Brittany, I know you know who I am, but I need to see your face, sweetie. Look at me please.”
Brittany looked up, and tears filled her eyes instantly.
“Oh no, baby girl, ain’t no freaking crying! Wipe those tears away!” Emily said.
Brittany did as Emily said, and Emily smiled. “That’s right. Listen, I got some news for you: you are going to leave this muthafucka this week. Rone has been working on something that has worked once before, and it’s gonna work this time. Do you hear me? You ain’t got to do anything but look at me to let me know you understand what I’m saying.”
A few seconds passed, but Brittany looked up once again.
Emily started whispering, “All right now, listen: there will be a new guard placed by your room for the next two nights. Don’t be alarmed, ’cause he will be one of Rone’s guys. That’s all I’ma say right now. Just don’t be afraid or get aggressive, no matter what! Okay? Look at me again to let me know you understand me.”
Brittany once again looked up, but said nothing and then dropped her head again. Emily shook her head in sadness at Brittany’s appearance. Her hair was matted, her clothes were dingy, and her face looked old. She was gray and distant.
“I will see you soon, okay?” Emily sighed. She wanted to cry at the way Dana’s dear friend looked, but she couldn’t break. Not when they were so close to getting her out. Emily had to
make sure that Rone’s friend was going to be at the dock waiting for them, and she had to make last-minute arrangements. Dana would be so happy when she returned.
She left the hospital and grabbed a taxi and got dropped off at the dock. She met with three guys Rone had sent to meet her. They worked diligently to prepare for Friday.
When Friday approached, Emily was getting nervous. She waited at the pier, and the guys were running late. She prayed that they didn’t get caught up. As she paced back and forth, Rone called.
“Hey, are y’all en route?”
“They haven’t even gotten here yet!” Emily replied.
“What! Let me call and see what the holdup is. They better not double-cross me ’cause I can still get their asses hemmed up!”
Rone hung up. Now Emily was even more concerned. She hoped they weren’t going to trap her and have her arrested.
As she continued to pace she saw headlights approaching. She ran and hid behind the small building that sat on the pier. She watched as two men pulled a stretcher from the back of an ambulance. She walked slowly around the building and walked over to the men. “Is that her?”
“Yeah. We had a little problem getting her to eat her food, so we had to switch up and put it in with her medication. She will probably be out for the entire trip. Tell Rone we are even!” the driver said.
“All right, I will do that. Thank you, though, for helping and keeping it real with us,” she said.
“It’s cool. Y’all better get going. Daylight will be peeping around soon,” he said.
Emily thanked them again and got on the yacht and they peeled out. She checked on Brittany to make sure she was okay. She looked so peaceful, like she was really dead. Emily shook the thought out of her head. She sat back to enjoy the rest of the ride, which would take them down the coast a little to a plane home.
* * *
Brittany hadn’t said a word to Emily the whole trip, but she looked almost calm. At the Kona airport, Emily hailed a cab. They both got in and sat back. The driver looked back at them and asked for their destination. Emily gave them the address and looked over at Brittany. “Are you good, ma?”
Brittany nodded, but Emily could see sadness in her eyes. Hopefully, that was about to change. They road in silence, and,once they arrived at their house, Emily helped her get out of the car. Dana had no idea what was going on, nor did she know that Emily was returning that day.
Once they walked up the walkway, Emily told Brittany to knock on the door while she carried in their belongings. Brittany knocked on the door and waited. She knocked again, but still there was no answer. She looked at Emily, confused, until the door opened and Rone motioned for her to come in.
“Hey, Ms. Lady. Come on in and take a load off.”
Brittany smiled. It was good seeing a familiar face for once. She knew Emily, but she knew Rone a little better.
“Who is it at the door?” Dana yelled.
“Come and see for yourself,” Rone yelled back.
Brittany sat up and looked in the direction that the voice came from, frowning and looking from Emily to Rone. Yet again, she had tears gathering up in her eyes.
Dana walked out and stopped in her tracks as she glared at Brittany. “Hell no! No!” she cried. “Tell me y’all aren’t playing with me!” She walked slowly over to Brittany who, at this point, was also shocked. “Britt, is it really you?”
Brittany looked confused, but for the first time in years, she spoke slowly. Her words were almost inaudible, but she spoke. “Yes. Oh, my God! Is it you?”
“How? I mean, who . . .” Dana was tongue-tied. She hugged Brittany tight, and Brittany hugged her back. She was in total shock, but it was the greatest feeling she had had in a long time.
The two hugged for what seemed like hours until Rone separated them. “All right, you two, let’s sit down and talk.”
Brittany and Dana sat side by side, and they talked for hours. Rone told Brittany that he got Dana out the same way he got her out. He couldn’t leave her in there, let alone keep her thinking that Dana was dead, not after everything she had sacrificed.
Brittany and Dana decided to walk the beach that night with Emily. It was the Three Musketeers forever! Dana felt great again, and despite all the hurtful events in her life of late, she knew that she had found true friends. Indeed, they were the very definition of Queen Hustlaz.